Norway Killer's India Connection

Norwegian mass killer Andres Behring Breivik, who killed at least 76 people in his bombing and shooting spree in Oslo, wears his Indian connection on his arm and chest in some of his photographs.

The combat badges, which Breivik wears on his militant outfit and ceremonial officers' dress, were crafted by an Indian weaver sitting in India's Northern state of Uttar Pradesh.

Mohammad Aslam Ansari, the proprietor of Indian Art Company in Varanasi, got a mail from Breivik about 11 months ago asking him to design two samples of the badges.

"Yes, the order for preparing two samples was received by me in my e-mail account about 11 months back," 45-year-old Ansari was quoted by media reports as saying.

"The order came in response to an advertisement I had put out on a website in the hope of expanding my base and rising above my humble means. But let me tell you, the whole exercise was very disappointing as other than the two samples ordered by the Norwegian client, I received no other order," NDTV quoted Ansari as saying.

According to reports, Ansari was asked to design two samples, one in silk and another in metal, and courier them to an address in Norway.

He also received an amount of around Rs 10,000 through money transfer service.

The badge shows a skull and a dagger passing through it. The white skull is marked with symbols of Islam, Nazism and Communism.

"I was hoping for the first order in bulk from a foreign country, but I received no order or any correspondence in this regard. I did not get the order, but have landed in the soup," he told The Times of India.

Ansari established the Indian Art Company in Pathanitola area of Varanasi in 2006. The company is into manufacturing and exporting of hand embroidered products like emblems, badges, crests and insignias.